


Dangerous Affaire

by EliottDemmaury



Category: SKAM (France)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Flirting, Fluff, Forced Marriage, I swear, Love Confessions, M/M, Prince Eliott, Prince Lucas, SKAM Season 3, Softness, Strangers to Lovers, a bit angst with a happy ending, elu - Freeform, elu skam, love love love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2020-12-23 21:57:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21088439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliottDemmaury/pseuds/EliottDemmaury
Summary: A story about two boys, stuck in situations they think they can't escape from. Just to discover that the universe seems to have its own strange ways of bringing the right people together.A story about a Prince that doesn't want to be one, and a boy that just wants to belong.or, the royalty AU no one asked for.





	1. Masquerade.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: English isn't my mother tongue so I am sorry for any mistakes. I am also very aware of the fact that this story isn't very realistic (France still having a royal family etc.), this is all fictional and something I made up, so please be gentle with me. 
> 
> \+ I reuploaded this story because I wasn't really happy with it. I changed some plot parts etc. So enjoy!

The night was cold, but that was nothing unusual at the end of January.

The sky was clear, and the full moon the only source of light that shrouded the beautiful meadow in front of him in dim light.

In the distance, he could still see the dark silhouette of his parents' huge property. 

Contentedly, he leaned against the trunk of the big oak tree behind him, placing his hands in his lined coat pockets to shield them from the biting cold that was surrounding him. And with every breath, he took, he could see thin clouds of haze forming in front of him, dissolving a little later in the darkness of the night. 

Eliott loved being outside, surrounded by the darkness and silence that came with it. 

He loved the fresh air, the soft grass beneath him, the sweetish scent of the flowers that adorned the meadow in the summer. The old, deep-rooted oak tree that always managed to give him some kind of security.

He even loved it when he was able to feel the cold slowly creeping up his body, after hours of simply just sitting there, listening to the insects clicking in the mist. 

He loved everything about it. There was just something freeing, something calming about this small and hidden part of nature, that only he seems to appreciate.

Whenever he was out here, far away from the obligations and the expectations people had on him since he was a little kid, everything seemed okay.   
Out here, at the verge of the forest, all by himself. Here, he wasn't Eliott Demaury, the Dauphin of France.   
Outside the walls of his home, he was no one, and sometimes that was exactly what he needed. 

Eliott never liked being one of the few living offsprings of the royal family in France. 

And in his opinion, there was simply no reason to justify, why his family was still holding so much meaning to their title. This whole royalty thing was way too outdated anyway.

But here he was, Eliott, the only child of the Demaury's. The direct successor of Lucien Demaury, and the Dauphin of France.

He hated his title, and if it would be up to him to choose between a life as a prince in this day and age, or to live as a regular boy...he'd choose the second option, in a heartbeat, but he couldn't, or simply wasn't entitled to decide what to do with his future - the autonomy to plan his future had been taken from him as soon as he was born into the royal family anyway. 

And so it happened that Eliott's parents had betrothed him to the daughter of the Lallemant's. 

He had met Monsieur Lallemant and his daughter a few times now, but Eliott did not like him. He thought Monsieur Lallemant was a weird, kind of sinister man. He could tell it by the way, he had talked about his daughter. Like she was some kind of furniture he wanted to auction to the best bidder, trying to let her seem as engaging as possible.

It was absurd that he thought Eliott would fall for her just because of some stories Monsieur Lallemant had told him.

His daughter, on the other hand, was a courteous and polite person, and who knows, maybe he would have been interested in her under other circumstances, but Eliott was stubborn, he always had been, and forced love was definitely not something he wanted.

But Eliott had tried to care, he really did - but he didn't. 

His own father never stopped trying to assure him that the Lallemant's daughter would be the perfect match for him, and at one point Eliott had just accepted it. Who was he to question it anyway? Sure, Eliott had tried to argue, to make his parents understand that he had enough of this royal nonsense. That he wanted to decide if, when and who he would marry someday. That he just wanted to live a normal life, without all those strict rules that determined his whole existence.

They didn't get it, but who could blame them? 

They didn't know it any better, they were both born into this kind of life. This life of privilege and wealth that was determined by rules and other peoples judgment. They probably never had the chance to question their lives or the choices other people had made for them. 

"I didn't choose to be your father's wife, my parents did, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me." his mother once said, trying to make things seem a little less compelled.

Eliott knew it wasn't a lie. His mother really meant it, every single word. He had seen it in her eyes, how they started to light up whenever she started talking about his father. And Eliott was happy for them, happy that they were able to find true love, even though their relationship had been anything but their own decision. 

But that never change the fact that he wasn't ready to get married.   
He wanted to live a normal life, to go to college, or get a job. To earn his own money instead of always getting things without really wanting them.   
He was still so young - he turned twenty-three last year - and had a whole life left to live.   
He simply wasn't ready to fulfil the responsibilities that came with being the Crown Prince. 

He buried his face into his palms, feeling his chest tighten, just by the thought of what was about to come. 

_ Three months. _

He had three months left until his life would change forever.

Three months filled with gatherings and parties to celebrate an engagement he never wanted.

Three months before he would marry a woman, he didn't love. A woman he barely knew or had anything in common with.

Three months he wished would never pass. 

-

The radiant light of the morning sun falling through the window made him wake earlier than he intended. 

Lucas felt like shit, the bright light ached in his eyes and every movement he took was accompanied by one of the worst headaches he had ever experienced. 

Tiredly, he turned to the nightstand on his left, searching the drawer for some sort of painkillers, but the only things he found was a small but empty water bottle, some rubbish and a pack of condoms.

_ Damn it... _

_Since when did he even start hoarding rubbish in his fucking drawer? _

He let himself fall back onto the mattress.

With closed eyes, he began to massage his temples, trying to remember anything from last night.

There had been alcohol, too much alcohol if he thought about it, and his splitting headache was the undeniable proof of that. 

Otherwise, there was not much that came to his mind, yesterday was just a bit of a blur. Except for-

In a sudden movement, that almost made him vomit, Lucas turned to the other side of the bed to find a guy lying right next to him - naked.

Lucas stared at him for a moment, watching the young man's chest rise and then fall again in a steady rhythm. His black curly hair covering his flawless brown skin - he was still asleep.

The man was good looking, Lucas had to admit that, but that did not make the situation any better.

Only now did Lucas realize that he wasn't wearing any clothes either. He took a quick look at his surroundings - he didn't even recognize the room he was in. 

_ Shit! _

Lucas had to get out of here as quickly as possible, but it took him a few moments to manage to get out of bed without feeling like the room was spinning around him, or the impulse to vomit. For a split second, he even considered just going back to sleep, waiting for his hangover to disappear by itself.   
But staying in bed with a man, of whom he could not even remember the name, would be a pretty dumb idea, even for him.

So he had no other choice than to force himself up to his feet. 

Slowly, he shuffled through the room, picking up his clothes from the floor and putting them back on while he was already walking towards the door, nearly falling over another pile of dirty clothes right next to him. 

As quietly as possible, Lucas tried to enter the small hallway of the apartment, eager not to wake the boy next door. 

The last thing he needed now was an unnecessary conversation with a one-night stand. 

So he hastily grabbed his jacket and scarf - that he'd found in the doorway of the living room - and left the apartment. 

He let out a relieved sigh as he left the apartment building behind him, stepping out into the streets of Paris. 

The chilly air was a welcome change in contrast to the almost stuffy air in the apartment, and the sun was promising a beautiful day to come. The nausea Lucas had felt a few minutes ago seemed to fade, slowly.

It took Lucas a moment to get his bearings, urgently trying to find a familiar street name or something else that could help him to find out where he was. His gaze wandered over several of the houses around him - there was no way to dismiss the fact that he was stuck in one the more undeveloped parts of Paris - until he recognized a little bakery on the other side of the street. Luckily, he wasn't that far away from his own place. A thirty-minute bus ride and he would be back home. 

Lucas was about to look for the nearest bus stop, or literally any other way to get back home, when he heard the ringtone of his phone coming from one of his jacket pockets. He took a look at the display. 

_ Incoming call from Yann. _

"Yann, what do you want?" Lucas's voice was harsher then he intended, he was just too worn out to care. 

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," Yann smiled, Lucas could hear it through the phone, he didn't reply. 

"Rough night, huh?" Yann continued, the tone of his voice shifting, he seemed truly worried.

"Is that so obvious?" he let out a faint laugh. 

"Yes. I mean you just left the flat and didn't come home last night, you didn't even answer my messages. I was worried, you know- especially after what happened before you left," he said meaningfully.

"Before I left?" 

"Oh god Lucas, please don't tell me- You have no idea what happened yesterday, haven't you?"

"Mmhhh..." Lucas didn't know what to say, "well I went to a bar, I guess. I drank a little too much last night, hooked up with some guy...that's all." he tried to sound as unbothered as possible. 

"I am not talking about the things you did after you left, even though I'd like to know how you managed to hook up with a guy when you left the flat looking like an absolute mess, but that's not the point. I'm talking about- about-" he struggled to find the right words. 

"Yann, I have no clue what happened yesterday, okay?" Lucas interrupted him, annoyed, "I woke up next to a man I don't know. I have the worst hangover ever, and I probably don't have enough money to get myself a bus ticket. I would say the day is already off to a good start. So please, please just tell me what's going on." 

"Lucas, fuck. Your father called me an hour ago! He said you just left home without telling them you'd stay with me. He said you didn't even pick up your phone."   
_Well...these type of things happen when you block certain numbers_, he thought.   
"He said something about Margot and a wedding?"

It took Lucas brain a moment to comprehend the information it was given, he felt like someone had just punched him right in the guts. 

Margot. The wedding. How could he forget about that? 

Suddenly, everything fell back into place. Lucas remembered how his father had told him about it. How he had left his father's home filled with such rage because he couldn't believe that his family had announced the engagement with one of the Demaury's like they were already a part of the family. They definitely weren't - yet his father liked to pretend they were. 

Lucas felt the need to vomit again, just by the thought that sister was about to marry one of these idiots.

What was his name again? Lucas didn't know, he didn't care. 

The only thing he did know was that he was the son of the Demaury's, the only other royal family in France, that still had a lot of influence in terms of politics, money and other stuff. 

"Lucas? Is everything okay?" 

Lucas had been so distracted by his thoughts and his upbuilding anger that he'd completely forgotten that he was still talking to Yann. 

"Huh? Ehhh...yeah sure. I- I'm just...does my father know that I- You know..." 

"That you left mine to go, get drunk and fuck some random dude? No, of course not. I told him you've stayed the past few weeks, including last night. He seemed pretty angry abou that- you know- angrier than usual."

"Fuck...okay. I am coming to yours if that's alright?"

"Sure. Do you want me to pick you up? Just tell me where you are and-" 

"No no!" he replied instantly, "I am just a little out of the loop. I totally oppressed the whole wedding thing. I was so angry... God, my dad is gonna kill me when he finds out about all of this." 

"I know, I know...you messed up, but you have to calm down, okay? Just...come home and we'll talk about all this, yeah?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." 

"And Lucas?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Don't let yourself be seen by too many people. The last thing you need is a picture of yourself in the newspaper." 

Yann was right, of course, he was. "So, I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah...sure."

"Okay, great," Lucas could hear the relief in his voice but before he could even reply anything, Yann had already hung up the phone, leaving Lucas alone with an overwhelming feeling of confusion in his chest and only one question on his mind.

What was he supposed to do now?

-

The hallway was quiet when Lucas entered the flat - he was thankful that Yann had given him a key back then, just in case.

The silence of the hallway was a pleasant contrast to the loud and by now busy streets of Paris, he had walked on minutes before. 

He carelessly threw his jacket over the coat hanger next to the front door, his eyes wandering to the small dirty mirror on the wall, right over the shoe cabinet - Yann should clean it sometime soon. But not even the dirty mirror was able to hide the tired look on his face; it was still red from the cold winter air outside, his hair was messy and his clothes looked like he had worn them for days.

Lucas' eyes were marked by dark circles that testified long days of not getting enough sleep and too much alcohol and weed - he looked terrible. 

"Lucas!" 

He saw Yann entering the hallway from the kitchen first, before he even understood that Yann was talking to him in the process, taking him in a warm and tight embrace shortly after. 

"I am so glad you're back. How are you? You look like shit." Yann babbled. He was worried. Lucas could hear it in his voice and saw it in the way he eyed him from head to toe. 

"Thanks, man. I knew I call you my friend for a reason. Always lifting me up with your sweet comments. I am too, very pleased to see you again." Lucas tried to make it sound like a joke but he couldn't deny that he was more than happy to see his best friend. 

Yann and Lucas had been friends since they were little kids.

What started as an ordinary friendship between two innocent kids, slowly grew into a family type of bond that seemed indestructible. 

No matter what kind of problem they had to face, they always faced it together; from the one time, Yann had cracked one of the big windows that was facing the back yard of his grandmas home, and their desperate attempt to come up with a good excuse for the broken window, but failing anyway. Or the one time when they'd had their first crush on the same girl - Lucas later admitted that he had just tried to play along, usually picking the one girl he couldn't have to avoid actually going out with one. Over to the start of the real problems that would affect him more than he had thought was possible.

Lucas had always felt a little out of place, not because he had no friends - it was the exact opposite since his mother had always insisted that he and his sister had to visit one of the public schools in Paris, despite his father's wish of them being homeschooled - but more the fact that he'd never understood why his friends started to have their first girlfriends in high school while he was just sitting there, asking himself why he couldn't feel the same way about girls, just like they did. 

Lucas tried though. He tried to fit in by talking about girls with Yann and his other friends, he even started dating a girl when he was fifteen. 

And he loved her, at least he tried. Her name was Chloè, she was nice. She had long black hair, rosy cheeks, blue eyes and was the dream of every boy, at least that's what everyone told him.

And they were right, Chloè was beautiful, but Lucas never viewed her as hot or desirable. If someone would've asked him if he'd loved her, he would've said yes though, because it was the truth. But it took Lucas a while to understand that he didn't love her like he was supposed to. 

He simply loved her as a friend, a good one, nothing more and nothing less. So he did the only thing he thought was right and broke up with her, as soon as things started to become more serious. 

It took Lucas a long time to even understand that being into guys was possible and a completely normal thing. But in a household where being somewhat different was seen as inconvenience and weakness, and where the most important thing was to uphold a reputation that was drawn by wealth and power, was no place for him to even entertain the thought of stepping out of the line in any way. 

-

There had been one time when he had tried to talk to his parents about all of this, shortly after he had ended things with Chloè. 

They had been sitting at the dinner table - a rare thing to happen.

"I don't understand, honey. I thought you liked her? You always seemed so happy together, she was such a sweet girl." 

Lucas had been poking around in his already cold food for a few minutes now - something he couldn't identify but considered a weird mix between a casserole and a completely overcooked version of a lasagna.

"I don't know, mom. I mean she is great and all but- I- I don't think she is my type." 

"It doesn't matter anyway, does it?" his father had said, loudly munching a big bite of the questionable food, some of it running down his chin in the process. He didn't seem to care. "There will be plenty of other girls. No, need to worry, son. She wasn't a good match anyway. You are a Lallemant, we don't- " 

"Please! Victor, you are talking about us like we're the royal family. Do I have to remind you, that we aren't." 

"Not yet. I heard the Demaury's son just a year older than our Margot. Just imagine the potentialities that would come with us marrying into the royal family." he said, still chewing. 

"No! I won't let that happen, Victor! Our kids should be able to choose who and if they want to get married someday. That's why I choose to leave my royal past behind. Being a Princess never did me any good." 

Lucas knew that she was trying to hold it together, but he could see the anger in his mother's face as she spoke. "I don't want to hear something like that ever again." 

His father snorted irritated. "Anyway." he looked at Lucas, "Don't think about this girl. You'll find another one."

"I know but... maybe I don't want a girlfriend," Lucas had muttered, more to himself than to anyone in particular, but his parents heard him anyway. 

His father had stared at him in confusion, a contrived huff escaping his lips, "What are you talking about?" 

Lucas had struggled to bring up the courage and tell his parents how he felt. To talk to them about the things, he had talked about with friends like Arthur, who felt something pretty similar and who had helped Lucas to entertain the possibility of him being gay.

"Maybe- maybe I don't like girls...well, not like this. I talked with a friend about it, Arthur." 

"The blond boy from music school?" his mother asked, genuinely interested.

"Yeah, him. We are pretty close and- I think that we came to the conclusion that I might be...well, that I might like boys." 

A sudden and unpleasant silence had begun to fill the room. Lucas could see his father clenching his jaw. His mother, on the other hand, had gave him a heartwarming smile, before she spoke, "Oh honey, that's completely fine, we would never judge you for this. You are the only person who knows what you are feeling. The only thing that matters is that you are happy, okay? We would never-" 

"Enough!" his father's voice had been filled with oppressed anger, and for a moment Lucas feared he would throw the knife in his hand across the table, "This is complete nonsense," he scowled bitterly, "You don't know what you are talking about. You are not- You like girls and I don't want to hear something like this in my house ever again, you understand? And now to you," he was talking to his mother, "I am done with your trash. It's already a scandal that he is going to a public school, with kids who are talking him into stuff like this. Don't you dare to encourage our son to think that this kind of behaviour is okay. You know what that would mean for our family. You might not care about the title you were given by your family, but I do."

"Victor! Are you serious?"

"I am. I don't want to hear any of this ever again."

Normally, Lucas would have argued with him, because every dinner with his father eventually ended with them arguing, but at this moment, he had felt powerless and hurt. So he had done what he thought was the best to avoid any more problems, he had stayed quiet, knowing that being himself seemed a little less possible from now on. 

Sure, his mother never stopped supporting him, encouraging him to live his life to the fullest, and so he did, despite his father's reluctance to accept him.

But as soon as his mother fell ill she wasn't able to defend him anymore, making all of this a little bit more complicated. 

But Yann had taken care of him, he had given him not only a shoulder to cry on but also a home in times when his mother was hospitalized, and being around his father seemed unbearable.

Lucas was thankful for everything Yann had done for him, even though he'd struggled to unveil it from time to time - but he was getting better at it. 

-

"I know, I am pretty great but could stop looking at me like you are about to jump me? Yann's amused voice brought him back to reality. 

"Oh fuck off. I wouldn't dream of it. I wouldn't even think about it if we were the only people left on earth."

"Already cracking jokes, uh? You are unbelievable. But for real, what were you thinking? You should have told me."

Lucas couldn't shake the feeling that Yann was waiting for some kind of real justification. He huffed, his composure slowly turning into annoyance, "I mean...what do you want to hear? Do you want me to leave you a note? To call you the next time or-" 

"Yes," Yann said immediately, "that's exactly what I want." 

"Yeah sure, mum. I'm gonna call you next time, okay?" 

"Lucas, I am serious."

"So am I." 

Deep down, they both knew that Lucas was lying. They both knew he wouldn't call the next time, or the time after that because he was still Lucas, and if there was something that Lucas had lost over the years, then it was the want to follow any kind of orders. 

"It freaks me out, you know that," Yann gave him an admonishing look, "Hey! Don't you dare to just leave me standing here when I am talking to you!" Yann moved quickly to block Lucas's way, arms crossed and his features adorned with determination. 

"Come on Yann, don't worry," Lucas tried to stay as calm as possible, his headache still causing him to feel a throbbing pain with every other movement. He wasn't really in the mood to argue with Yann right now, "I am okay. I drank a little too much and hooked up with a dude...you were the one who told me to distract myself in the first place!" he continued. 

"You know as well as me that this is not what I meant," his best friend stared at him angrily. Yann knew that Lucas was trying to twist his words to his good. Sure, Yann had told him to distract himself in some way or another. To start working out again, or to get to repair the piano he had bought weeks ago, for example - not getting drunk.

"Yann, since when are you so annoying?" 

"Since when are you so damn stubborn?" 

"I am not stub- look, I was angry okay." 

"But we both knew that your sister would get married sooner or later. It was only a matter of time for her to get engaged. I know that you love your sister and believe me, she knows it too. So-" 

"I just hoped she would have told me herself. I didn't want to hear it from dad." Lucas could feel like the desperation to get some answers overtaking his body. 

"No, of course not, but that's something I wanted to talk about anyways. She wanted to-" 

Lucas interrupted him, "I am her brother. I mean sure, I am kind of living here so we don't see each other that often but still."

"Jesus, Lucas, that's not-" 

"I was just hoping she-"

"God Lucas, do you ever listen to your friend?" The unexpected call behind him made Lucas jolt in surprise. He would recognize this voice everywhere - he turned around immediately. 

"Margot? How- I mean- what are you doing here?" 

"Hey Lulu," her voice was quiet and broken as she began to speak, "it's been a while." 

"Yeah, weeks."

She nodded, barely, "I missed you." She took a few steps closer before hugging him tightly. Not really understanding what was happening right now but still happy to see her, Lucas buried his face in the curve of her neck without even thinking about it - she smelled like peppermint and roses. Her arms felt like home.

-

She had changed, that was the first thing Lucas had thought while watching her while Yann was handing her a cup of tea. Her, back at the time, long blond hair was now cut to shoulder length and made her look maturer - not that she needed it. Her blue eyes had a captivating shine in them - Lucas liked to believe that she was just as happy to see him than he was to see her. Her thin face had a natural glow to it, and her cheeks turned a little rosy when she'd touched Yann's hand while reaching for the sugar pot on the kitchen counter in front of her - accidentally of course. 

She simply was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And the older she got, the more she started to look like their mother.

It was a weird feeling, he had to admit, to see her sitting on one of the bar stools in Yann's kitchen - some sort of disbelief mixed with a sudden feeling of relief. It had been a while since they had seen each other, but it still felt like they've never been apart.

"So..." she started, absently moving the tea bag in her cup, "Yann told me you already know." 

Lucas knew exactly what she was talking about, "Yeah...dad told me." It wasn't his intention to sound as cooly as he did, because as angry as he wanted to be, he couldn't hide the fact that he was still glad to see his sister.

"I wanted to tell you in person. Before him, before the press, you know...about the whole when and who situation. It wasn't my intention to hide this from you, and I know it's no excuse but I am really sorry." 

"You don't have to be. Yann was right, I overreacted," Yann who was casually leaning against the counter, looked at him, encouragingly.

"It's just...you are my big sister, I don't want you to get hurt. And seeing you getting engaged to a man who- do you even know who he is? 

"I've met him once, his name is Eliott and he is a very kind guy." 

"I've heard he is your man when you want to get in trouble" Yann was playing with one of the oven gloves right next to him, "He allegedly doesn't want to be the Dauphin. He is always on the run, Some even say he his crazy. He seems to attract problems. If I think about it...that sounds more like someone made for you, right Lucas?" 

"Fuck off," he replied annoyingly.

"I'm just kidding." 

"Yeah, but you're not funny." 

"You're...not funny." 

"Wow, amazing comeback, Yann. Did you rehearse that?" 

"Hey, Boys!" subverted Margot them, vigorously, "You two are getting worse with every passing year. Could you try to behave like grown men for just one second? I know about those rumours but as I said, he seems like a kind, well-mannered young man."

"Is that everything? Because I think I know why you are doing this. I didn't turn out like dad wanted me to be, and now he is demanding you to marry into a royal family because I can't." 

"It's a little complicated, Lucas."

"No, it's actually pretty simple. You _ want _to marry a guy you don't know anything about, and I am supposed to sit back at and just watch?"

"What else do I need to know, Lucas? I know that you don't understand this but this is not a marriage out of love. It's a marriage that will benefit two different parties. Our family faces financial bankruptcy. We need financial security, especially because of mom. I am sorry, okay. I never wanted this to happen." her voice was honest, "But what was I supposed to do? I am not doing this for myself." 

"I still think it's wrong," he grumbled. 

"But you should try to accept it. For me, and mum." 

Lucas frowned. This whole conversation seemed wrong to him. He didn't want his sister to get married, just because she felt the need to do so to preserve the family's later existence. Even if that meant they couldn't guarantee for their mothers well being. Lucas wanted to help Margot, but he didn't know-how. But the longer Lucas thought about it, the more he felt his respect towards his sister grow. Margot, who was always, despite everything, was not thinking of herself but put others first.

-

"I hope you'll come back soon. Lucas always complains about the lack of quality time with his sister." Lucas heard Yann whispering to Margot while she was about to head outside to get on her way home.

"You know I can hear you, right?" he looked at Yann. "Besides that, I don't think I am the only one who'd be more than pleased to see you again. You should hear Yann talking about you when-" 

Yann clapped his hands, giving Lucas a warning glance. "Okay! I think that's enough, isn't it? Or do you want me to talk about your _date _yester-"

"As if you hadn't already done that." 

"Yeah, fair point." 

"Do you want me to kill you now or later?" 

"Oh good god, I think it's time for me to go before you two start murdering each other. Well actually- there is another thing I would like to ask and I know that your answer will be no, but please let me talk first, okay?" Margot asks, already walking out of the door. 

He hesitated. "Okay..." 

"There will be this huge party today, to celebrate the engagement and all. There will be a lot of important people too. God, I think half of Paris will be there and I know you don't like these formal kinds of parties, and dad probably already told you about it, but I would really like you to come." 

"No." his answer is immediate, " Dad, didn't mention it. I think he doesn't want me to be there. Besides, Margot, you can't expect me to do this. How am I supposed to survive when I know why you are doing all this? I can't go to a party that's going to glorify my sister's arranged wedding. And as you said, there will be some very important people. I don't want to cause any kind of trouble."

"Please, Lulu. I know it's a lot to ask but it would make things a lot easier for me." She looked at him with pleading eyes - she knew exactly what she was doing. 

Margot knew him well enough to know what she had to say to get him where she wanted him, and he wasn't even mad at her. He'd probably done the same thing in her position.

"If I'd show up, hypothetically speaking, of course." 

"Of course." 

"Well, how am I suppose to do this? What am I supposed to wear? Let alone to think about the chance of me I running into dad at some point. He would kill me on the spot, or the other way around."

"About the dress code- I'll let someone bring you something you can wear this evening - that's one of the benefits of marrying a Prince, you get everything you could wish for. And Dad is not going to be there, he has to attend some meeting outside of Paris. " 

Lucas made a frustrated noise - he had lost this argument as soon as it'd started, he knows that. 

"So is this a yes?" she asked. 

He was silent for a moment. "When do I have to be there?" 

-

It was almost noon when Eliott closed the back door of the larder, which was directly located to the property's large garden, behind him - the loud creaking of the old alder wood an unpleasantly loud sound in his ears. He waited a moment, crouching behind a cabinet that was usually used by the kitchen staff to store various kinds of fruits, before he decided that there was no one around and he could sneak out of the room into the hallway, unnoticed. 

He was already internally rejoicing the fact that he managed to sneak out and back into the house without anyone noticing when Eliott heard a familiar voice behind him. A voice he had not heard in a very long time. 

"Hey! Where do you think you are going?" 

Frozen in his movement, it takes Eliott a moment until he manages to get himself together. He turned around, slowly, trying to look as unbothered as possible - the last thing he needed was someone to know that he ran off again.

"Idriss?"

"If that isn't our little prince," Idriss smirked, leaning against one of the doors that is leading to the library of the house.

Eliott sighed, annoyed - some things never change. "You know I hate when you call me that." 

"What? Little?" he asked smugly. 

Eliott crossed his arms, eying the tall man from head to toe. "You now that I could kick you out in a second, right?" Eliott teased.

"Yeah, I am aware of that but you wouldn't. You just love me way too much." 

"You wish."

"Pretty big words for someone who still sneaks in and out of the house like he used to do when he was fifteen." 

Eliott was startled for a split second, what had exposed him? How could Idriss even know that he sneaked out again? He had been extra careful when he left today. His gaze involuntarily started wandering down at himself, for the first time this day, and suddenly Idriss' comment did not seem that far-fetched anymore. His already black pants were covered in mud and grass stains, right where he had had to crawl under the fence this morning, and his shoes looked like they had seen better days too. 

Eliott tried to look as unbothered as possible about the obvious mess that was his clothes. 

"Don't act like you didn't love it just as much as I did," he said, deciding that he wouldn't give Idriss the satisfaction of catching him off guard with this type of commentary.

Idriss just giggled, detaching himself from the wall and walking a few steps in Eliott's direction, taking him in a tight embrace seconds after. Eliott returned the hug without hesitation, his body relaxing against strong and comforting arms. Idriss had always been someone Eliott had felt an immediate connection with. They had met years ago. They might have been around eleven or twelve. Idriss' father had applied for the job as the Demaury's gardener and his family had moved into the little cottage on the other side of the property after he got accepted - they had been friends ever since, best friends even. And they had stayed friends, even after Idriss's father retired and moved to back to their home town. Even after Idriss himself moved to study abroad, while Eliott was still stuck in this house because he was the Prince. 

"So..." Idriss began as he pulled back. "what the fuck did you do?" 

Eliott looked at him in confusion, not really knowing what Idriss was talking about. His friend seemed to understand and continued. "The reason why I am here in the first place? The wedding?" 

"Oh, that." 

"'Oh, that'?" Idriss repeated his words, huffing in disbelief. "Is that all you have to say? Damn it, the last time I saw you, you wanted to get out of here, there was not one day where you weren't getting in any trouble. You seemed unstoppable and like you knew exactly what you wanted. But now...you are just accepting this forced marriage? What happened?" 

"I know. There is a lot that happened in the last months." It was a weak excuse for all of this, and Eliott wanted to say more, he did. He wanted to tell Idriss everything. From how much he had missed him over the couple of months they'd been apart, to how much he hated everything else, especially being the Prince. How he hated the fact that he never really lived a normal life. How he hated that he was getting married to a woman he barely knew. And he wanted to tell him that he wished things had gone a little differently. But he couldn't, suddenly, all of this feels too overwhelming and he had no idea how to deliver a single sentence. 

"Hey," Idriss recognised his struggle to find the right words, "You know what? I think it's time we just find ourselves a quiet place and talk about what happened in the last few months." He smiled gently. 

Eliott exhaled heavily, trying to smile back. There was so much he wanted to say right now. So many thoughts that were racing through his head, but one was more striking than any other, he fucking loved his best friend. 

-

It was already starting to become dark when the driver turned the car onto the road that led to the residence of the Demaury's.

_ This house looks like a fucking castle, _he thought, nervously fumbling on one of the buttons of his shirt. Margot had chosen a simple black suit, a white shirt and a brown parker and even though it fitted him perfectly he still felt a little uneasy in it - he just wasn't used to wearing suits, and especially not such an expensive one. 

Margot had ordered that he would be picked up by one of the Demaury's drivers around 7 p.m. - of course, they had one. Lucas had protested and it had taken Yann and his sister's full persuasion until he'd reluctantly agreed to it. He didn't want to be treated as someone better, but Margot had told him it would be necessary if he wanted to avoid additional attention regarding his person. So Lucas had given in. 

He only realized the car had come to a halt when the driver opened his door, giving him a meaningful look to make him understand that he was supposed to get out of the car. 

He muttered a quick _sorry _as he clumsily tried to get out of the car. 

"Miss Margot is waiting for you at the east entrance. It's right over there," The man gestured to a place behind Lucas. 

"Thank you," Lucas said. 

The man smiled. "Don't worry, kid. Most of the people here are quite alright." 

Lucas nodded, he tried not to be irritated by the man's words but the fact that he thought Lucas might be worried made him upset - he hated it when people tried to assume how he was feeling. He is glad the man didn't seem to expect another response from him, getting back into the car without another word and driving away instead.

He turned around and started walking into the direction of the east entrance. It's the first time he was able to scan his surroundings. 

The house was built of stones of varying sizes and shapes, each one unique. From a distance, it had appeared uniform grey, from up close Lucas realized that it was a mosaic of humble rocks, each of them nobody would think anything of were they loose by the roadside. But together they were an impressive piece of architecture and the crown of the landscape. 

All of it was surrounded by big trees that looked like great armies defending their citadel. Their armoured trunks spread out in the air protectively. This great expanse of green enhanced the properties eerieness, which Lucas thought, was because of the twilight that shrouded the whole place in dim light. 

_ It is an enormous building _, that's for sure. It almost seemed a little unreal as if it was conjured from one of those storybooks that his mother used to read to him when he was a kid. 

The forecourt of the house, on the other hand, was enlightened by iron lanterns and filled with dozens of people, all dressed in expensive suits and dresses. Some of them were talking excitedly, others appeared a little too drunk, staggering in and out of the large front door of the property.

To Lucas's shock, on closer inspection, he noticed that all the people he saw at first glance were masked. Slightly confused at the sight, Lucas still managed to walk past the yard and to where he was supposed to meet his sister. He saw her right away, leaning against a small brick wall that separated the paved part of the yard from a more untouched looking section of the huge garden that appeared to surround the whole mansion.

"Hey, Lulu," she smiled, detaching herself from the wall. "I am glad you're here. You look incredible." She vaguely pointed at his clothing. 

"Thank you, Marg. You too." He said honestly. 

"You think?." she laughed, twirling to give Lucas a better view on her dress.

Margot had a kind of understated beauty, perhaps it was because she was so unaware of her prettiness, it seemed so natural to her. Her usually straight blond hair was curled and tied up in a bun and her petite face had his natural glow to it - only at a second glance did he realize that she was wearing a discreet make-up. She was wearing an ocean blue gown made of soft, satiny fabric, long and loose. She was looking like a princess, no more, she's looking like their mother. 

"Yes- you...you look magnificent," Margot's smile widened. "It's a shame mother can't see you. Well, and the reason why you're wearing it is also not really the best thing." He had to say it.

She rolled her eyes, barely noticeable, "We talked about this, Lucas," her voice had reproachful sound to it, but her gaze was graced by a fond smile "But yeah, I wish mom would be here too."

"Anyway, I don't have a lot of time. There are still a lot of new people coming and I have to introduce myself. I didn't expect it to be this hectic today." she looked at him apologetically, "But there is something I have to give you first before you are allowed to go in there. Here, you have to wear that," she grabbed something from the wall behind her, just to shove it right into his arms.

He looked down at the something and it took him a few seconds to understand _it_ what was. "No, Margot. We talked about a fancy party, not about some stupid circus." 

"It's no 'circus'. It's called a masquerade ball and I chose this kind of party so you could walk around without the potential of someone recognising you. You were the one who said he didn't want to run into dad."

"And you were the one who assured me that he wouldn't be in town. Don't try to justify the fact that you tricked me into this with this dumb eventuality!" 

"Well," she placed her hands on her hips, deflecting Lucas by infusing her own voice with soreness. "Maybe I lied? Maybe dad is here and I just told you he wouldn't be so you would come." 

"You wouldn't dare." 

She looked at him challenging. 

"This is ridiculous- you are ridiculous!" 

"I love you too. Look, I really have to go now so- just do me the favour and wear this stupid mask, okay? I will try to find some time after I am done with everything. I really want to spend some time with my favourite brother tonight! Maybe even stealing a dance or two." 

"You know I hate dancing." 

"I know, but you love me, and _ I _would love to dance with you tonight. Just one song?" 

"We'll see," he replied, still miffed. 

"Yay! I love you!" Margot grins happily pulling Lucas in a quick but firm hug. "I see you later!" 

"Mmm...you know you owe me one, right? Big time!" 

She smiled at him warmly before patting his shoulder in a comforting manner and turning to leave. She made her way across the front yard, exchanging a quick word here and a smile there, with people that were crossing her way until she disappears through the front door of the house. Lucas had never seen anyone more angelic and so naturally regal manner than his own sister. And in moments like these, he had to admit that a small part of him was feeling envy at how easy it was for his sister to be likeable and to fit in, in such a world that seemed so different to his own.

Lucas just stood there for a while, trying to comprehend the whole situation and how his sister managed to talk him into this - again. 

His gaze wandered to the mask in his hands. It was a simple one, white with some golden specks sprinkled around the eye-holes and a small silky ribbon on the back, to tie it around the head. It was surely big enough to be a usable disguise. He took one last look around the place before he eventually tied the mask around his head. A quick look into one of the windows next to him and a deep breath, and he decided to walk through the door. 

This was going to be a very long night.

-

Lucas was surprised how many people of his age seemed to attend something like a royal engagement - the majority of them looking like kids from wealthy parents. But most of them turned to be pretty nice, at least the once Lucas had talked to. 

He had talked to a boy first, Idriss, he especially liked. She had been wearing a silver mask and a black button-up shirt with matching black trousers. He had been one of the first people that had spoken with him. 

"Our dad used to work for the Demaury's. They are wonderful people, especially Miss Demaury. We used to live here too, my mom and dad, my sister, Imane, and I. It's weird to see Eliott getting engaged. He is like a brother to me." he had said with such conviction in his voice that Lucas couldn't help himself but listen in eagerness. "I could introduce you to him if you want.But don't tell him what I said. He wouldn't stop teasing me for it," He joked. He was intimidating - in a fascinating way. If he had ever known failure in his life, he didn't show it. Everything from the way he had held himself, to the way he had spoken, to that look of unassailable confidence in his eyes said he could do anything.

It had taken all of Lucas willpower not to ask further questions about Demaury's. It had been tempting though. Idriss was a friend of Eliott which meant he probably knew him inside and out - a great opportunity to get some information about the family his sister and Lucas would soon be a part of. But he had decided against it - to avoid unnecessary trouble. 

So instead, he had used the excuse of a dry mouth, to get himself out of the conversion, leaving Idriss alone and heading straight to the little bar at the end of the ballroom to get himself a drink - or maybe to, or three.

**-**

"I would slow down with those." 

Lucas turned his head to his right, spotting a man lazily leaning against the bar counter. His face disguised by a pitch-black mask with little stars around the eye-holes, that was covering most of his face. 

"What?" Lucas bent his ear instinctively, still holding a cup in his hand and the boy repeated himself, louder. "I wouldn't drink so many of those! This shit makes you drunk faster than anything else."

Lucas pulled back and rolled his eyes, he didn't need some stranger to tell him what he should do, even tho he had to admit he was a really pretty stranger - well, the parts of him that weren't covered. He was wearing a black button-up shirt with discreetly embroidered roses on it - the first two buttons of the shirt were open, revealing his collarbone. His messy hair was hazel and his eyes had some blue-greyish colour. And Lucas could only guess, that a well-structured face had to hide under his mask. He couldn't help himself but wondered what he would look like without it.

Lucas shook his head, a pathetic attempt not to think about it. "I think I know what I am doing," he said eventually, and did what every grown-up would have done, and took the rest of his drink with one gulp - _ Take that, you weird pretty stranger! _

"Ah, I see how it is." 

"Do you?" Lucas said challenging. 

"Yeah," the boy grabbed one of the cups that was standing on the counter and mimicked Lucas action, downing the liquid in one shot. "Well..." he said, tilting his head slightly, "Do you want to dance?" 

"What?" Lucas looked at him in surprise.

_What kind of topic change was that? _   
_Not exactly the most elegant move. _

"Dancing? With me?" he repeated with a grin. 

"No," Lucas frowned, "Sorry, but I don't do dancing." 

"Mmh, not a big party person then, are you?" 

"Can't you tell?"

"Yeah well, I think your grumpy look gave it away." 

"My grumpy- how do you want to know how I am looking, I am wearing a mask. So do you, and I can't see what is going on in your face." 

"Grumpy, as I said," he just smiled, smugly. 

Lucas huffed offended.

"Anyway, since we both don't really seem to enjoy this whole thing here," the boy was gesturing into the crowd of dancing people. "I figured we could at least not enjoy it together," he said quietly, almost inaudible in the face of the music that was drowning the room. He leaned his body closer to Lucas, brushing his right ear with his lips as he continued to speak. "I would certainly enjoy dancing with you." 

Lucas choked on his own spit, he started to cough. 

For a split second, Lucas thought about it. It was tempting to spend some more time with this mysterious boy - who knows what could happen. He was about to give in when he heard his sister's voice calling him from the distance.

"Lulu!" she did a little jump, excitedly jogging across the room, extending her arms when she's within a few meters to take Lucas in a loving hug. "I thought wouldn't find you anymore. I was afraid you already left." 

"Nah, I am capable of a lot of things but that would be pretty heartless, even for me." he joked, "I was actually talking to this guy." 

"Mhh? Which guy?" she looked past his shoulder, straight to the place where the boy had stood just a few minutes ago but - he was gone.

"He was standing here just a minute ago, I swear." 

"Maybe you've drunk too much?" 

"No, don't be silly. I swear he was here!"

"Yeah, alright. Maybe he had to leave? Don't worry about it. Let's dance, I've waited the whole night for this!" she laughed, pulling him towards the dancefloor before Lucas could even begin to protest - his thoughts remaining by the pretty stranger.

-

The music spun around them lifting away gravity. He couldn't count how many times he had squished her foot under his own. Still, she smiled brightly as their heels clicked over the ballroom floor - funny how a few drinks could reduce Lucas's sense of shame to nothing. Margot's movements flowed with a dazzling grace that took away the breath of every person around them. 

After two hours, in which Lucas admittedly had enjoyed dancing and chatting with his sister, she had to leave him by himself - apparently, Mrs Demaury had asked to see her. 

Lucas himself decided to put this free time to use to get some fresh air. At least for a brief moment, to free himself from the mass of people and the loud music. 

He looked around the room, trying to find a quick and uncomplicated way out, but that seemed more difficult than expected. The dance floor had slowly filled up with more and more people and seemed like an impenetrable wall - he couldn't choose the exit. He let his gaze wander through the room until he detected a glass-fronted door, leading to a patio at the back of the house.

So Lucas decided to go to the patio, to finally get some fresh air. He moved quickly, always intent on walking along the wall of the huge room, to avoid to be dragged back onto the dance floor by some hot-headed and already drunk people - murmuring a soft _ sorry _ or _ may I as _he made his way to the door. 

He took a deep breath as soon as he reached the door, relief spreading through his veins. He pushed the handle of the door down with a quick movement, opening it to step outside, closing the small mat glass patio door soon after. 

He was surrounded by an immediate wave of silence. The light of the ballroom only a faint glimmer on the pavement - the grey stone seemed eerie in the night as it enhanced its beauty with the radiant moon shining. The cold air of the night revived Lucas' senses and was a real gift in contrast to the stifling air in the house.

Lucas observed the patio with interest. It was nothing special, but it had its charm to it. He could detect a small table with two chairs in one corner of the patio while the left side was decorated with a huge flower grid that was attached to the wall, and almost made this place look like a little garden, and for a moment he asked himself if his sister had seen this place before.

With a light smile on his lips, Lucas moved closer to the end of the patio, directly to the edge of the balustrade that was surrounding it and gazed into the distance. To Lucas disappointment, however, he could not see very far.

Lucas winced a little when he heard the unexpected opening of the glass door. "Margot? I- " he started and turned to the door but stopped as soon as he realized that it wasn't his sister who had opened the door but the guy from the bar_ \- pretty stranger. _

"Sorry ... I thought you were someone else." Lucas apologized briefly and went for the door. 

"I am whoever you want me to be." he beamed him a crooked smile, brushing Lucas' arm with his own. 

_ This is not fair. Why does he look like that? _

Some folks wore a smile, but this guy was the smile. Everything about him seemed a soft and understated joy. He closed the door again.

Lucas was mad himself for beeing so starstruck because of a boy with a stupid black mask and these stupid pretty eyes and this stupid pretty smile...maybe he was already fucked. 

"I think it's very impolite of you to dance with everyone but me," he said casually.

"I didn't- Were you stalking me?" 

"I prefer the term watching," 

"Doesn't make it less creepy." 

"You really are a little grumpy, aren't you?" he smirked softly.

"I think I should go." 

"No!" the strangers' voice was a bit too loud in the silence that was surrounding them - the music of the ballroom a hushed noise in the distance, "Sorry, I mean...I would like you to stay."

"Why?" 

"You intrigue me." 

Lucas was surprised by the honesty in his voice. His eyes were glowing in the faint light of the moon. It was the first time Lucas dared to take a closer look at them. It was almost like they were both ocean blue and storm grey at the same time. He blinked and the beauty was momentarily covered by the shield of his eyelashes; naturally long and soft looking - feminine compared to the rest of his well-structured features. By the time the boy's eyes opened again, Lucas had still not recovered from his intense stare. It was a stare that communicated the boy's determination and his wish for Lucas to stay - at least that was what Lucas thought, maybe hoped for.

Lucas swallowed, mouth gone dry. he felt like he was losing control over the situation. "I am not that interesting."

"Mmm..." he shrugged his shoulders, a flicker of a smile appearing on his face. "uninteresting people generally don't have to say that." 

_ God, he was good. _

"Well...I think it's not very polite to just leave me without saying anything," Lucas tried to counter the boy's previous words - he needed to change the direction of this conversation right fucking now!

"Yeah, right. Sorry about that," he eyed Lucas, thoughtfully running his fingers over his own lips. "that was not very kind indeed," he took a strain of Lucas hair between his fingers, just to let it go a second later, "But I am here now." he strolled towards the parapet of the patio, just to elegantly climb up and balance on it like the trapeze artists in the circus. Leaving Lucas alone. This was Lucas opportunity to leave, the door was right beside him - but he didn't. 

_ He is acting like a kid. No, it's worse- he is crazy. _ Yes, that's it. Lucas was dealing with an absolute madman. Why the hell did these kinds of things always happen to him? First his sister, who made him come here in the first place, and now this guy, whom he does not even know - Lucas clearly has to work on his assertiveness. 

Lucas watched him for a while, not really knowing what to do. 

He was tall, almost a little lanky, with his long and thin arms and legs. His black clothes made him look uncommonly pale - he was, without a doubt, the most beautiful person Lucas had ever seen.

"So..." the boy continued, "is there a way to redeem me?" he looked genuinely interested.

"I don't know." 

"'I don't know'" he rephrased Lucas words, "Let me ask you something else then," he jumped from the parapet, walking back to Lucas. "Do you trust me?"

"I don't know you." It wasn't a direct answer to the question but just as effective. Lucas did not want to make it too easy for him.

"Yeah, well...My name is Eliott," he said with a big smile on his face, shaking his messy hair out of his eyes, "And you are?"

_ Eliott. What a beautiful- Wait! Eliott? Like...Eliott Demaury? Shit. This was bad, this was really bad. _

God, what was Lucas supposed to do now? Here was standing, in the dark, on a damn patio, talking to Eliott. _ The _ Eliott. The fucking Dauphine of France...his sisters future- _ Get yourself together Lucas! __You're not gonna fall for the first guy you see, especially not for him! _

"So?" Eliott's voice interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Ehm...what?" 

"Your name?" he laughed softly.

"Oh, I am eh- Lucas- My name is Lucas," he tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. 

Eliott nodded understanding. "Nice to meet you, Lucas," he replied his storm-grey eyes shining in the faint light of the moon, they were filled with content and something else - sorrow?

"So, since we know each other now...would you do me a favour, Lucas?" 

"A favour?" 

"Mmm..." 

"What kind of favour would that be?" Lucas's voice was nothing more than a whisper, his gaze was fixed on some point on the ground - he could hear the music in the ballroom change from a faster more upbeat song to a jazzy piece. 

This was definitely going in the wrong direction. He hated himself for being this weak. For falling for the words of this stupidly handsome guy. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't Lucas be lucky for once? He knew it was wrong, and he knew he could get in big trouble just for talking to the son of the Demaury's but acting like a smart person had never been one of his strengths.

"I don't know."

"Well...let me ask you this then if this was our last day on earth. If this was our last moments before we'd die, would you do me the favour and give me this dance?" Eliott glanced at him with a smitten grin.

Lucas wanted to say no. Or at least to think about it, to make the right decision but it was too late, there was no right or wrong way to choose anymore. He was already way too deep into this. And so he said the only thing he could in this situation. 

"Yes, yes I would." 


	2. Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little too late but still Merry Christmas everyone!  
I finally did it! Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy.

Emotions were a tricky thing, they could either save you or ruin you completely. There was no magical formula on how to deal with them. They came and went like tidal waves. They could be a guiding light, something you could hold onto in dark times, or they could blind you. They could be unpredictable and surprising. They were complex, confusing and in Lucas opinion, very dangerous. Especially when they went way beyond yourself and started to revolve around someone else.

Because right now, he could feel his mind losing control over the situation, letting something else take over. It was a magnetic feeling, something inside of him saying_' There is something about this...about him...' _ as if he gravitated towards this extraordinary thing that captured his attention. It was a new confusing feeling, a force so strong, Lucas didn't know if resisting it would even be an option. So Lucas just stood there and couldn't do anything but watch his own emotions slowly slipping through his fingers like quicksand. 

"Are you afraid?" Eliott cocked his head, his amused voice bringing Lucas back to reality. 

"Afraid?" 

"Yeah, you should see your face. You look like you have seen a ghost." Eliott chuckled but Lucas could hear a hint of genuine worry in his voice.

_ Yeah, probably my composure and last bit of self-restraint. _

"No...no, not at all. I mean, what's there to be afraid of?" he gave a weak laugh, suddenly irritated with how presumptuous the whole thing was. He just wanted to do his sister a favour by attending this party, and know he was standing on this patio, in the dark, wearing a ridiculous mask and talking to Eliott Demaury. 

"I don't know, you tell me." Eliott challenged, moving around Lucas like he was some kind of prey. It made him feel timid. 

He needed to calm down. Right the fuck now! 

He tried to concentrate on something different than Eliott. He needed something to ground himself again. He'd never been the kind of guy who got easily discomposed by other people, but Eliott was different. 

Something about him, Lucas didn't really know what exactly, made him feel nervous around him and he hated it. Eliott has something otherworldly to him, something mesmerizing and naturally charming. 

"It's just...I don't-" Lucas paused, his gaze wandering away from Eliott's face to some point behind them before he continued, "It's just- I don't really know how to do it, to dance I mean." 

"But I saw you dancing tonight, a lot actually." Eliott laughed.

God, this guy is going to be the death of him. 

Lucas felt a sudden stream of embarrassment flooding his senses. It was a weird thing to hear that Eliott had seen him dance, and an even weirder one to contemplate about the possibility of Eliott watching him since he got here. 

He had seen him with Margot, that he knew for sure, but did he know who Lucas was? Probably not, why else would he have asked him for his name? Why would someone like Eliott even care? He was probably just fooling around with him, enjoying his last moments of freedom before getting married - Lucas being the perfect distraction.

Lucas was moving in dangerous territory. He should probably feel bad, being used like that - he didn't. 

"Yeah," he finally huffed, "if you consider moving your limbs without any real purpose as dancing." 

"I liked it." Eliott laughed, and Lucas could feel his cheeks flush behind the white of his mask. 

"Still," he began a little uncertain, nervously running a hand through his wild hair, "I might be able to move to the music without looking like a total idiot, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't know shit about actual existing dance moves."

"Nothing? Not even a little waltz?" 

"Do I look like it?" he pointed down at himself as if he wanted to prove his point, just by the way he looked. It wasn't that far fetched though.

Lucas wasn't particularly unathletic, but he definitely didn't look like someone with a great sense of rhythm, let alone like a dancer.

Eliott just shook his head, he frowned looking like he was thinking about something before he spoke, "I guess I have to teach you then." 

Lucas could feel his face grow hot, he looked down at the ground, taking a step back, "I don't think that's a good idea." 

"Well, we never know if we don't try it, don't we? But I have to take this damn mask off first," his hands reached to the back of his head, a few quick moves were all it took before his black mask fell into his hands, exposing his face to the fine moonlight above them. 

He had the kind of face that stopped you in your tracks, that took your breath away. Lucas almost understood all the people that had gushed about him tonight. Only that all these praises didn't come close to his actual beauty. His face was delicate, despite his prominent cheekbones and sharp jaw. His dark hair made him look paler than he already was, and his stormy eyes were filled with intensity and gentleness. His small lips curled into a soft smile. He looked like an actual angel. 

"Shall we?" Eliott moved two steps forward, dropping the mask on the floor, looking at Lucas for a moment, before taking his right hand into own and placing Lucas' other hand on his right shoulder, Eliott's finding its place on Lucas' hip.

Lucas wasn't sure if it was the remaining alcohol in his body or the fact that he could smell the sweet bloomy scent of Eliott's perfume, or the feeling of his hands on his body, but something made him feel very dizzy all of a sudden.

So he tried to concentrate on the dull sound of the music coming from inside the mansion to not freak out right there and then - it was a slow song, almost a little dreamy*, but to make matters worse, he could feel Eliott's face slightly moving to the side, pressing their chests together. His nose tickled Lucas ear, "Your hands are shaking." 

"Do they? I mean, it's pretty cold," Lucas tried to cover, instantly looking away. He could feel Eliott's hands tightening their grip, just slightly. It was electrifying, almost addicting to feel Eliott's soft hands in his own, around his hip.

"Mmm..." he purred, "Don't worry. Just follow my lead, okay?" 

"Okay," Lucas let out a tiny gasp, summoning enough courage to meet his gaze again. His eyes twinkled with satisfaction before he beamed Lucas a smile, starting to sway their bodies to the muffled music. Lucas knew enough of dancing to know that they weren't really moving but he didn't complain. 

"I think I know what you meant when you told me you couldn't dance," Eliott teased after a while when Lucas accidentally managed to step onto his foot. 

"And I think you could just do me a favour and shut up. I am trying my best here!" 

They both laughed at that, almost losing their balance before Eliott started once again, distancing his face from Lucas to look at him, "So..." He paused for a while, "You know who I am, right?" 

"I-yeah. I mean you told me your name. You are Eliott." he laughed shaky, not really understanding Eliott's intentions behind this question. 

Eliott laughs slightly, "Yeah, I think you're not wrong, but that's not what I meant." He looks down at the pavement, watching their feet slowly move in sync with the music, "You know I am the prince, right?" 

Lucas raised a questioning eyebrow, seeing something like worry and embarrassment wash over Eliott's face. 

"Yeah, I suspected something like this already," Lucas joked, "The huge house and all kind of gave it away." 

"And you don't care?" he asked seriously. 

"Not really. Do you want me to call you your highness now or something? Is that it?" 

Eliott giggled, and it's like music to Lucas' ears, "Oh god, please don't." He shook his head, "It's just...it's nice to be around someone who treats me just like anyone else." 

"I mean, we are all just humans in the end, right? I hate to see people being treated differently just because they are living a privileged life. Just because you are rich or the prince or whatever doesn't mean you can't be an asshole." he shrugged. "It's all about the person and their intentions, not about their origin or status. You were just lucky to be born into a wealthy family."

Eliott nodded, "So you think I am an asshole?"He tried to sound offended but Lucas could see the little smirk Eliott was currently trying to hide. 

"That's not what I meant. I think you are quite alright." 

Eliott beamed him a smile, "Thank you. You are quite alright too." 

Lucas smiled at him shyly, only now noticing that they had stopped moving. They stared at each other for a moment, the music inside changing into something faster, more upbeat.

"You know what? I would really like to look at you without this stupid mask." 

"Oh Really?" 

Eliott nodded weakly, unintentionally closing his eyes as if his subconscious was trying to hold on to whatever was happening right now. But just as Lucas was about to say something, the opening of the ballroom door startled them.

"Eliott?! God, here you are!" 

It was the guy Lucas had talked to tonight, Idriss. He could tell it by his clothes and the mask in his hand. His eyes travelled from Eliott to Lucas and back to Eliott, he looked stressed. 

"I looked everywhere for you! Do you even know how huge your fucking home is? But you are here, fooling around with random-" his expression hardened and realisation dawned on his face, as soon he took another look at Lucas. 

"Not now, Idriss," Eliott hissed, not even looking at Idriss. 

"I am very sorry to interrupt you in, whatever you are doing right now," Idriss explained, "but you have to come back in. Your father is looking for you."

"Why?"

He seemed annoyed. 

"Monsieur Lallemant just arrived. He wants to talk to you."

The name of his father made Lucas freeze, he could feel the colour draining out of his face, an unpleasant feeling settling in his body. 

_ This is bad. This is really bad. _

"I thought he wouldn't come today." Lucas words were quiet, not really meant for anyone to hear, but he could see Eliott turn his head his way, he didn't say anything. 

"So, are you coming?" 

"I- give me a second, okay?" 

"Eliott-" 

"One second, Idriss!" 

"But-" 

"That's an order from the prince, or do you want me to call for the guards to kick you out?" Lucas was surprised by the sudden change of his voice. Eliott's charming and playful attitude replaced by a harsh and stern voice, and Lucas believed, for the first time that night, that he caught a glimpse of the relentless and privileged prince in Eliott.

Idriss just nodded, giving Eliott a last meaningful look Lucas couldn't really interpret, before leaving the patio, closing the door behind him. 

Eliott turned back to Lucas, he looked at him apologetically, "I am sorry about that. I didn't think-" 

"I- I think I should go, "Lucas said hesitantly, he felt dazed, already taking a few steps back. His hands finally letting go of Eliott. The loss of Eliott's touch seemed unbearable. It made him feel empty, like a part of his body and soul was already missing him, but he had no other choice. His father just arrived, he couldn't take the risk of running into him, not here. Not under these circumstances.

"Already? I hoped we could continue this when I am done with all these trivialities," he confessed with a slight smile that made Lucas' heart break a little.

"I can't. You are the dauphine...you are engaged," he said like he had to remind himself of the obvious.

"I- I- don't know why-"

"You should go inside, Eliott. People are waiting for you." 

"I don't care about them. I'd rather spend more time with you." 

"You don't know me." 

"I know but-" 

"I should go."

Lucas walked down the small steps of the patio that let to the garden and tried to avoid Eliott's gaze. For a moment, Lucas wished Eliott would still wear his mask, so he wouldn't have to say these words to his face, wouldn't have to see the way his words affected him. Lucas knew that he shouldn't feel this way, because he only just met this man at a party. A party that was supposed to celebrate his sister's engagement to said man. 

Lucas shifted on his feet, biting his bottom lip before turning his back on Eliott. It would be easier without looking him into the eyes.

"Lucas!" Eliott shouted after him, "Can I see you again?" 

Lucas stopped in his movements, turning his head back into Eliott's direction. "Why?" 

"I don't- I don't know what it is, but I want to spend more time with you...it just feels right. Is that weird?" 

_ No, not weird at all. I know exactly what you mean. I can feel it too. _

Eliott ran a hand over his mouth, "Look, I know I am not perfect," Lucas watched him swallow. _ Was Eliott Demaury being shy? _

"I want to show you that it will be worth it. Let me prove it to you." he leaned over the parapet of the patio to get a better look at Lucas.

Lucas could feel his jaw drop a little. "I don't.. think that's a good idea," he replied, his voice quiet, almost a little broken. "We just met, you are engaged...this wouldn't work."

"We could make it work." 

Lucas sighed, his gaze wandering to the glass door behind Eliott, recognizing the familiar figure of his sister talking to someone. 

_ His father? _

"But you don't know anything about me, it wouldn't be worth it," he sighed rubbing his eyes. Lucas really needed to get out of here.

"Yes, it would be."

“You don’t know that,” Lucas continued shaking his head, "This is stupid. You just met me. I just met you." 

Lucas could see his sister pointing to the patio before walking towards the door. Fortunately, Lucas was far enough away from the patio that no one was able to see him from up there.

_ Fuck! _

"And so what? Maybe it's stupid," Eliott insisted, "God, why are you so damn stubborn?" 

The door reopened, causing Eliott to turn his head in shock.

That was Lucas Chance. I was now or never. He took a last look at him and whispered a quick "Goodbye, Eliott." before disappearing in the dark of the night.

#  ** \- **

Lucas didn't mean to talk about what had happened with Yann. He didn't intend on telling anyone to be honest, but Yann had always been the right amount of annoying and concerned to make Lucas tell him anything. 

So they sat down the next morning and he told him everything. He told Yann about the party that hadn't been that bad in the end. He told him about his encounter with Idriss, about him dancing all night and finally, about the handsome stranger that had turned out to be _the _Eliott Demaury. 

"So you danced with Eliott Demaury? _The _Eliott Demaury? " Yann coughed, putting his mug back on the table in front of him. 

"No, I mean yes. Kind of, we got interrupted."

"Yeah, right. Your father," Yann nodded in understanding, "And what are you gonna do now?"

"Nothing." 

Yann frowned, "Nothing? But you said he wanted to see you again...and he wrote you a letter, right?"

Lucas had found the little piece of paper in his pockets after getting back to Yann's apartment.  
It wasn't bigger than a business card, a number written down right under the family crest of the Demaury's.

Lucas didn't mention the little _ 'Call me, please.' _ he had found on the other side of the card tho. He didn't need any more teasing from Yann anyway.

"Yes, nothing," Lucas said, poking around in his scrambled eggs, "and just so you know, it wasn't a letter, it was a note." 

"How did he even manage to write this shit down and put it in your pocket without you noticing?"

"I don't know! He is a creep." he retorted with a huff, "He must have done it when I wasn't looking, not really smooth if you ask me." 

"Yeah, you must have been occupied elsewhere, right?" Yann teased, there was a small but very notable smile on Yann’s face that Lucas didn’t appreciate in the slightest.

"Anyway," he began, trying to avoid Yann's gaze, "What am I supposed to do now?"

Yann didn't say anything for a few moments, looking down at his coffee mug, up to Lucas and back down before he spoke, "I don't know..." he admitted, "maybe you should give him a chance?" 

"He is my sister's fiance, I can't just..._ give him a chance _." 

"Okay, forget about him then." Yann chuckled, "this isn't rocket science."

"Don't laugh. You are my friend, you should help me with that!" 

"I know. I am sorry," Yann said, trying to look as serious as possible, "but like...what do you want me to say, Lucas? I mean, you are aware of the fact that all of this is a very very bad idea, but you also want to see him again." 

"I don't." 

"Yes, you do. Lucas, look at you... don't tell me you made up your mind already." 

"I don't! You really think I would fall for some stupid guy, just because he is the prince?"

"I didn't say that." 

"Good, because I am not falling for him and his irresistible and mysterious attitude, I couldn't care less to be honest. I am just gonna forget about him. He probably doesn't even remember me. I have other things to worry about than some stupid guy!" 

He wasn't wrong. He had a lot of things to do before he could even entertain the thoughts about something like some guy - visiting his mother at the hospital, sorting things out with his father, and his job were just a few things he had to sort out.

Lucas sighed and let himself be drowned by an overwhelming feeling of despair, throwing himself deeper into his chair, "I don't- I mean, I know it was a mistake, last night, but I can't forget about him...I mean I tried. This guy- I can't get him out of my head...he is like an annoying burdock that's clinging onto my mind...an annoying but very handsome and charming one. Damn it Yann, I am so fucked1"

** \- **

The next few days went by pretty uneventfully, like the weekend never happened.

Lucas hadn't heard from his sister or Eliott for almost a week so he had tried to move on, to get back on track - the thought of Eliott slowly fading from his memory. It was was tempting though, to think about him from time to time. To think about his stormy eyes and his bright smile, or his habit of smoothing his fingers over his lips whenever he seemed to think about something. But Lucas got pretty good in ignoring this 'need' inside of him. Mostly distracting himself by taking extra shifts at work and to concentrate on the important things. He even managed to call his mother, telling her he would come by to visit her soon. 

Yann had helped him too, by keeping him occupied with stuff like grocery shopping and other domestic tasks, or, just like today, by meeting their friends for a chill evening with some beer, pizza and some good games.

"By the way, guys, have you heard?" Basile said his mouth full of pizza, his hands fumbling with the joint Arthur had handed him, he took a draw.

Arthur leaned back in his chair, mockingly saying, "I don't know, Buz. What do you mean? Do you mean your little incident with Daphne? You guys must know that our good friend Basile here-" 

"Oh shut it, Arthur!" Basile hissed back, showing Arthur his middle finger, continuing without irritation. 

"What? I think Yann and Lucas have the right to know that you tried to flirt with her." 

"You did what?" Lucas laughed, his eyes still focused on the TV where he was currently losing a game of FIFA against Yann, again.

"Dude, I thought she has a girlfriend?" Yann added. 

"How did everyone know about this?" 

Lucas, Arthur and Yann don’t even attempt to hold back their laughter at this. Basile just grimaced, causing an even bigger outburst of laughter from his friends.

"Bro, she told us, several times." Lucas said, still laughing, "You were there too." He put his controller to the side, "You are just too fucking oblivious."

Basile pouted his lips like a sulky kid, "It's not fair," he began to complain but got interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. 

"I am going," Yann said, quickly getting up from the sofa to go and answer the door. 

"I still don't get it," Basile continued, handing Lucas the joint, " Why is it always me who gets rejected? I mean...Yann is together with Chloé. Arthur, you don't even care and Lucas...you don't ever seem to have troubles like this, ever. Is it because you are gay?"

Lucas can’t help but scoff at that, "Baz, you are my friend, but you are a fucking idiot." 

"Why? I just want to know! I-" 

"Just stop talking, Baz. It's for your own good." Arthur interrupted. 

"But-" Basile started again but stopped when they heard Yann's voice coming from the hallway.

"Lucas? It's for you." 

"For me?" he asked somewhat unnecessarily because, of course, Yann was talking about him, "who is it?" 

"I think you should just come to the door and see it yourself," Yann answered, now standing at the hem of the door of the living room, his eyes reflecting something Lucas couldn't really fathom. 

Lucas rose from his place on the sofa, handing Arthur the joint and taking a quick sip of his beer, before following his best friend right back into the hallway. 

"Look," Yann spoke, "I tried to make him leave. I at least managed to make him wait at the front door, but he insisted on waiting until you'd talk to him." 

"What- I mean who-" 

"It's the Demaury boy." 

Lucas just stared at Yann for a moment, his mouth slightly dropping open. He could feel panic taking control of his body. He must have misunderstood his friend. This couldn't be true. How did he even find him? Lucas didn't even live here, technically. This was all wrong, so so wrong. 

"What am I supposed to do?" Lucas was sweating now. completely overwhelmed by the situation.

"I don't know. You have to make a decision, Lucas. Give him a chance or tell him to leave you alone. It's up to you." Yann gave him a comforting pad on the shoulder before walking back into the living room. Leaving Lucas alone in the hallway. 

_ How could he leave Lucas alone? Especially in a situation like this? What kind of a fucking best friend was he supposed to be? _

He took a deep breath, slowly walking in the direction of the front door of the apartment. His gaze falling onto the little white box next to the door. He considered to just go back to his friends, to ignore the man who was currently waiting downstairs, but he was old enough to deal with this like an adult, he had to deal with it. 

And suddenly, Lucas was painfully aware of the fact that he'd already pressed the button that made it able for him to speak to whoever was standing in front of the little security camera that monitored the entrance to the apartment complex, but he was a mess, still sweating, feeling his heart hammering against his ribcage. 

He had to say something, anything.

"What do you want? How did you even find me here?" It's not really what Lucas wanted to say, it's a little too harsh, even for him. 

"Lucas?" Eliott's voice was hopeful and Lucas could see his tall figure whipping from one foot to the other in the shelter of the night, his body only illuminated by a single street lamp. "I missed your voice." 

_ This smooth motherfucker_. 

"How did you know where to find me?" Lucas asked again. 

"I am the dauphine of France, I have my contacts." he joked, a soft laugh escaping his lips.

Lucas rolled his eyes, "What do you want Eliott?" 

Eliott shrugged, his shoulders twitching to his ears, "I wanted to talk to you, but I don't have much time."

Lucas scoffed, "Oh, so your highness is busy, huh?"

"Not necessarily. It's just that I kind of sneaked out to talk to you," he said softly, almost a little nervous, "My parents will probably kill me for leaving."

Lucas felt an involuntary grin spreading across his face. It's a surreal thing to imagine. Eliott, sneaking out late at night, just to stand in front of Lucas front door, trying to talk to him. It's sweet.

"And what exactly wanted you to talk about?" 

Eliott seemed a bit startled for a moment, contemplatively chewing on his bottom lip before his face was filled with determination. 

"Go on a date with me." 

Lucas almost joked on his own spit. Eliott words echoing in his head. _Go on a date with me. _Eliott must be joking.

"What?"

"Go on a date with me," he repeated calmly.

"No, Eliott." 

"Why not?" 

"Because...because you are the dauphine of France damn it! You are gonna get married soon! You shouldn't even be here!" he hissed, "how did you even get here?" 

"I took the train," he replied as if it was a totally normal thing to do, in the middle of the night.

"You did what?" 

"I took the train! It was great! I've never been on a train before, well not with other passengers. My family doesn't usually use public transport I-" 

"Eliott!" he warned.

"Okay, okay. Look, Lucas- One date...let me take you on one date to prove you wrong, and if you still want me to leave afterwards...I will."

"Eliott I can't. This is wrong. You don't even know me." 

"Why are you always saying that? I think that's just another reason why you should go on a date with me. So we can get to know each other, properly."

"Eliott...I-" 

"Oh come on Lucas...what's the worst thing that could happen?" 

He sighed, maybe Eliott was right, sort of. What could go wrong? He could just go one date with him and never talk to him again after that. How difficult could it be to survive a date with a guy like Eliott? He could do it, right? It was probably the only way to get rid of him.

"Okay," he gave in, his voice quiet, scared his friends might hear him, "One date, just one. And after that, you won't bother me again, alright?"

"Really?! That's- I mean- I- I promise!" he said excitedly, jumping like a puppy, "I won't disappoint you! This is gonna be great!" he took a quick look at this phone, "Shit...Lucas, I have to go! Otherwise, I might be dead before we even had the chance to see each other again." 

"And we don't want that to happen, right?" Lucas mocked. 

"Absolutely, it would be a shame!" Eliott agreed seriously, looking like he is contemplating to add something else but taking a few steps back instead, ready to go.

"Oh, but Eliott!" he bawled a little too loud, "I have one condition." 

Eliott almost jumped back to the speaker, tripping over his own feet. 

_ What a fucking dork. _

"Everything!" 

"I'll choose the when and where." 

"Of course, you still have my number right?" he asked hopefully

"Yes." 

"Good..." his mouth curved into a smile, murmuring a melodious, "Good night Lucas." before disappearing in the dark. 

And even though Eliott was already out of sight, Lucas couldn't help himself but whisper a "Good night, Eliott." into the speaker.

**-**

** Lucas: **

_ How about Friday, 8 p.m.? _

Lucas pressed the 'send' button with sweaty falms, his body leaning against his bedroom door, slowly sliding to the ground, sitting there for a while. He didn't mean to text Eliott right away, thinking that it would look too desperate - he definitely wasn't...texting the guy at 7 a.m. and even if he was, who could blame him?

It's ridiculous how easily Eliott to managed to make Lucas feel nervous, even when he wasn't there. It's frustrating because Lucas started to question his own emotions and intentions the longer he thought about him.

On the one hand, there was this part of him that wanted to run as far away as possible, to avoid all the drama he was getting himself into because going on a date with Eliott Demaury meant getting deeper into unknown waters without a lifebelt, accepting the probability of drowning. 

But on the other hand, he was intrigued by the unknown and the mystery that surrounded Eliott. He was a charming and defiant character. So different from all the other people Lucas had met before. 

Lucas wasn’t used to guys like Eliott, guys who were so openly affectionate and honest about what they wanted. And yeah, maybe it was because Eliott was the prince and therefore used to getting what he wanted, but Lucas enjoyed to be adored like this. It made him feel special. 

Lucas sighed and looked back down at his now vibrating phone.

_ Incoming Call... _

"Fuck..."

Lucas sat up straight, clearing his throat and straightened his hair, as if Eliott would be able to see him as soon he'd pick up.

_ You are so dumb, Lucas. Put yourself together! _

Lucas answered the phone, "Eliott?" 

"Sorry, but who is this?" he heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the line. 

"Oh, sorry, how uncouth of me. Ehm...It's Lucas. We've met at a party?" Lucas played along.

"Mmh...Lucas? Sorry, but I think you have gotten the wrong number. I don't know anyone called Lucas." 

Lucas couldn't help himself but smirk a little,_ What a fucking kid. _

"Too bad, I was meant to go on a date with this weird guy called Eliott."

"Weird? Don't you mean incredibly charming?" 

Lucas huffed, not believing his ears. _This damn idiot. _"Very funny." 

"I know. Just one of my many hidden talents." he giggled.

"You are a fucking idiot, you know that, right?"

"You love that."

"I definitely don't." he shot back, maybe a little too quickly, he needed to change the direction of this conversation, " Why do you even have a phone? Isn't that against the rules or something?"

_ " _Against the rules?" Lucas heard him laughing into his phone, " What rules? I am not living under a rock Lucas, I am allowed to have a phone."

"I don't know...the 'you are a prince rules' maybe?"

"You have absolutely no idea what it means to be a prince, don't you?" 

"I wonder why that is?" 

"Yeah, I think I have to marry you for you to understand what it means to be a part of the royal family," Eliott returned, his laugh a little raspier than before - 

"I am not gonna make it easy for you," Lucas said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Yeah...I thought so...but I can be very persuasive, you know." Eliott countered with a voice that was way too seductive for a normal conversation over the phone - he is gonna kill him someday with that voice.

"Yeah sure. Anyway, so what about Friday? Do you think it's okay? Or should we just forget about it?"

"No!" Eliott cleared his throat. "Friday sounds great! I am gonna blow your mind!"

"Don't be too confident with yourself." 

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Lucas heard a noise coming from the direction of Yann's bedroom. 

He must be getting ready for work he reckoned.

"I have to go now." 

"Okay, I'll see you on Friday then?"

"Yes, I'm gonna send you the details then?"

"Sure, sounds great."

"Good...um...see you." 

"See you soon, Lucas." 

** \- **

Lucas didn't know what he had expected when he had told Eliott he would meet him in front of a little café, not that far away from Yann's apartment, but he'd not expected Eliott to show up over an hour too late. Walking up to him wearing, black pants, a brown jacket, a brown beanie and a scarf that is hiding most of his face.

The place around the café is pretty crowded, so Lucas has to raise his hand to get his intention. "Hey, Eliott!" 

Eliott made his way through the crowd, abruptly stopping in his movements when he got a better look at Lucas. It seems like he wasn't sure where to look first, his eyes darting from Lucas’s face to his chest, to his legs, to his shoes, and back again.

Lucas was confused at first, not knowing what was happening, until he realized, it was the first time Eliott was able to see him without wearing this stupid mask he had worn at the party.

"Hey," he said again when Eliott finally reached him. 

"Hi," he returned contemplatively, his eyes still examining Lucas' face, restlessly.

"What's up with the scarf?" Lucas pointed at the monstrosity around Eliott's face. 

"It's a disguise," he waggled his eyebrows, "I didn't want to take the risk of being recognized." 

_ Oh. _

Lucas hadn't thought of that. But it made sense. Of course, Eliott would try to keep the fact that he was walking around in Paris with some random guy a secret. Maybe Eliott hadn't exaggerated when he had told him about his parents not letting him leave their home.

"I am sorry. I didn't think about the whole Prince thing."

"It's- It's okay," he answered in a husky voice, his eyes fixating Lucas lips before he shakes himself back into reality, his eyes snapping back up, "You look good by the way. I mean, you looked good before...but I prefer you without the mask." 

"Um...thank you. You look good too." 

Eliott suddenly moved a step closer to Lucas, leaning in and pulling at his scarf so he could beam Lucas a cocky smile, "So, are we planning on going somewhere or..." 

"I- I don't know to be honest. You wanted to go on a date. I just decided on a time and place." 

"Well," he pressed his lips together, "I have an idea," he whispered his lips faintly brushing Lucas' lips before disappearing completely, "follow me."

** \- **

They walked around on the streets of Paris for a while, silently. 

It was a pleasant silence that made it possible for Lucas to just look at Eliott from time to time. Some of his gold-brown hair protruded from under his beanie, covering his eyebrows, his eyes occasionally peering at Lucas. His nose had turned a little violet due to the cold wind that was blowing - he looked like a real angel.

But after a while, Lucas started to speculate that Eliott was just walking around town without a real destination in his mind. Walking through a big park, past several museums and theatre until he stopped in front of a huge building with a facade made of white stone.

"Where are we?" 

"It's the 'Maison d'art'" Eliott said simply, his hands shoved in his pockets, "It's one of the greatest art schools throughout Europe."

"And what are we doing here? At..." Lucas looked at his phone, "At half-past nine?" 

"I'm gonna show you, follow me!" Eliott grinned walking around the huge entrance of the building just to guide Lucas to what seemed to be the courtyard of the building. It was a poorly lit place that was filled with dumpsters full of art supplies. 

"Most people throw away their stuff even tho it's perfectly fine," Eliott begins, rummaging in his pocket until he finds what he was looking for, triumphantly holding up a little black key. 

He opened a little gate, "Come on." 

Lucas watched Eliott entering a small, dark corridor. 

He hesitated, not really sure what to do.

"Are you coming?" Eliott whispers from where the darkness swallowed him, the flashlight of his phone the only source of light. 

"Don't worry. I'll protect you if you're scared," he smirked. 

"I am not scared!" Lucas defended himself, taking a step into the dark. 

"Here," Eliott giggled, "take my hand." 

"No!" 

"Calm down, I am not asking you to marry me. I am asking you to hold my hand." 

"I know that! But I don't need to hold your hand, I am not scared!" he retorted annoyed, grabbing Eliott's phone and walking past him like he is trying to prove a point.

_ Take that! _

Eliott stayed calm, just shrugging his shoulder, "After you, then." 

_ Oh, shit...that wasn't exactly what Lucas had planned._

"Well, actually...here you can go first." he attempted to give Eliott his phone back but he just shook his head.

"I thought you aren't scared?" 

"I am not." 

"Prove it then," he smirked, "go on, I dare you." 

Lucas snorted, _he can't be serious... _

And Lucas knew it shouldn't be attractive, the way Eliott looked at him with challenging eyes but it was. 

"Fine!" he grunted in defeat, demonstratively stomping past Eliott.

He walked until he reached a staircase, leading down into some, what Lucas predicted, basement. 

"You didn't have to drag me through Paris to kill me in some kind of disgusting basement, you know." 

Eliott rolled his eyes, "Are you always so annoying?" 

"Most of the time, yeah." 

"Just go, okay?" 

"Alright, alright." Lucas moved on the first step, which creaked loudly, "This is a joke right?" 

"Just go." 

They had made it down half of the way when Lucas put his foot a particularly weak step, causing it to break. Lucas screamed surprised, lost his balance and almost managed to fall down the rest of the staircase but Eliott managed to grab his arm in time, preventing him from falling.

"Everything alright?" Eliott looked at him with wide eyes. 

"Yeah, I just- this damn- Are you fucking laughing at me?!" 

"No," he raised his hands in defence, but Lucas could see the grin he was trying to suppress. 

"Of course you are laughing," he punched him on the shoulder, "You are a fucking idiot!" 

"I am sorry but you-" Lucas could see how Eliott tried to keep it together, failing miserably, "you just screamed like a little kid." he laughed loudly. 

"I don't scream like a little kid." 

"Well, you sure did a high pitched scream." 

"No, I didn't"

"No? So what did you do?"

"I- you know what? I hate you!"

"No, you don't." Eliott giggled.

"Whatever." Lucas huffed, walking down the last few steps just to end up in a musty smelling dark room, "This better be worth it or it's the last time you have seen me!" 

"How demanding." Eliott laughed softly, his hands ghosting over Lucas' arms. He didn't even notice Eliott coming up behind him. Eliott's touch made Lucas shiver, he feels he need to lean into the touch but Eliott is gone as fast as he appeared, leaving Lucas alone with a pleasant burning sensation on his skin.

"Are you ready?" He heard Eliott's voice coming from the other side of the room before the pitch-black room was lit up by a dim lamp hanging from the ceiling. 

It took him a moment before he was able to comprehend what he was seeing. The room was filled with dozens and dozens of paintings of several shapes and sizes, some of them were detailed paintings of sceneries, here in Paris, others looked more like sketches. Some of them were portraits, other's little animals and flowers.

"Did you make all of these?" Lucas asked perplex, his gaze wandering over the different pieces to his left.

Eliott nodded eagerly, "I usually store them in my gallery at home but some...I don't know they are too precious for me to store them there, I don't like the thought of other people seeing them. Like - I like to believe that all my paintings, drawings and even doodles mean something, at least for me. You can see a lot of the artist in their art, I think...and I don't think that people really get my love for art. I mean my mother supports it, as a hobby at least, but still...My family thinks it's just distracting me from my duties as a prince. So I got this little place to keep them safe, for no one to see. Just until I'll be able to hang them in my own house someday." 

"Wait, you don't let people in here?" 

"No, you are the first. I know it's not the cleanest place and you might not even like art but I just wanted to show you that I am not- I can be- I am probably talking too much, aren't I?" Eliott looks down at his feet, playing with his fingers like a shy little kid.

"No! No, not at all! I just...Eliott...all your paintings...they are incredible!" 

"You think?" he looked back at Lucas, his eyes glittering with hope. Lucas nodded. 

"Thank you...I have always wanted to be an artist. Since I was a little kid. I feel like it's the only thing I am good at, the only way I can express myself properly. But my parents never really cared, only ever seeing the soon-to-be king in me. They bought me a lot of art supplies and all that, and I know that they like my art, they don't really look at it you know? It's like they see my art but they don't see beyond the painted canvas...god, I must sound like an idiot. I don't even know why I am telling you all this." he laughed weakly. 

"Eliott! I mean I have to be honest with you, I don't know much about art but all of this here...you really have a talent. I know it doesn't change anything but I know how it feels when your parents try to create their ideal version of you but this dream you have, to become an artist...don't give up on it. You are a remarkable artist!"

Eliott's cheeks turned a little rosy at Lucas' words. His mouth curving into a smile that could outshine the sun. Lucas is overwhelmed by Eliott's passion and love for art, and for the first time, Lucas could see a real personality forming behind this surface of method and invulnerability that had covered Eliott before. There was more to this boy than just his charm and mesmerizing nature, and he wanted to be more. That was the thing that got Lucas the most, the fact that Eliott tried so hard to be more than just _ the _prince.

"Anyway, it's pretty late." Eliott began, changing the subject, "I...um..."

"Your parents." Lucas completed his sentence, Eliott wrinkled his nose, "I am really sorry." 

"It's okay. I have to work tomorrow so..." he didn't finish his sentence, not really knowing what he was trying to say anyway. 

**-**

They looked at each other for a while, back in the courtyard. Lucas didn't know what but something had changed down in the basement. His initial mistrust regarding Eliott slowly seemed to fade away. He almost felt a little bad for the way he had misjudged Eliott. Because something in Eliott must have cracked down there in the basement too, shattering this walls of intimidating self-confidence and aloofness he had built up, just to replace them with a childlike innocence that made Lucas feel all kinds of feelings.

"So...I um...well, I know tonight wasn't ideal but I just wanted to tell you that I won't- that I won't bother you again. I-" Eliott nervously shuffled his feet, and Lucas started to believe he would die if he had to look at this insecure face of his any longer. 

So Lucas did the only thing that felt right in this moment. Right here in a dark courtyard, somewhere in Paris. With Eliott in front of him, looking like a little kid, his eyes fixating on some point on the ground. He stepped closer to Eliott until their noses were basically touching and lifted Eliott's chin so he was able to look him into the eyes before he spoke, "Today was great Eliott. Don't worry about it." 

"You think so?" Eliott muttered, nibbling at his bottom lip, his voice all breathy and faltering, "Does that mean we could-" he let his sentence trail off. He didn't need to finish it anyway, Lucas knew what he wanted to say.

"Yes, we can see each other again." 

Eliott beamed him a smile, his eyes travelling from Lucas' eyes to his lips and back again. So fast that Lucas initially thought he might have imagined it until he did it again. 

Lucas felt his heart skip a beat, they were only centimetres apart from one another. Lucas could smell Eliott's perfume, see the faint freckles right under his eyes, feel his breath against his lips. And suddenly he felt the urge to lean forward, just a bit to connect Eliott's lips with his own. Just one little move, one- 

The sound of Eliott's phone cutting the silence like a knife. 

He sighed, tiredly pressing his forehead against Lucas'.

"You, you should probably get that." 

Eliott fished his phone out of his pocket, looking at it lackadaisically. 

"Oh fuck!" he swore, "It's my mother." he continued, "I need to go now but we'll talk again, right?" he said hopefully. 

Lucas chuckled, "Sure, we'll talk again." 

Eliott looked pleased, unable to contain his excitement any longer he leaned down to Lucas giving him a swift kiss on the cheek before running off into the darkness. Leaving Lucas behind, dumbstruck.

** \- **

Lucas ran as fast as he could. He was late. Again. 

Lucas had gotten home pretty late last night, instantly falling into bed and forgetting to set his alarm for the next day. 

_ That's what you get for falling for your sister's fiance, you idiot! _

Well, that was the understatement of the century. If he thought about it. The only thing he deserved was to be crucified on the spot. Or to be buried alive, or skinned, maybe drowned? The possibilities were infinite. But maybe destroying your lung by running down the streets of Paris like a fucking mad man was the beginning of the end. 

A wide variety of stores lined the nearby streets: antique and art stalls, jewellery shops, luxury boutiques and souvenir kiosks, and in the middle of it _ Mercier Music & Co. _ The shop was wedged between two taller buildings. Unlike most stores, it looked squeezed and nondescript. The sign on top of the shop was old, some letters of the name had become illegible in the peeling paint. But the big window facing the street was clean and allowed a generous look at the instruments that were on display. There was no theme to them, they weren't colour coordinated or set up according to their price or the type of instrument. 

Lucas pushed the old glass door open and a bell rang. 

At the counter was an old man, not the kind you would pity with their old bones and feeble limbs, but the kind you would admire by how they got their life all figured out. Leo Mercier, that was his name, stood quite short and thin, his white hair hidden under a brown barret, his mouse-like face half-hidden behind one of the cellos that actually served as an exhibit in the store. 

"Monsieur Mercier, I am sorry. I know I am late, my scooter didn't start this morning. I had to take the bus. I-" Lucas began to babble as soon as he closed the door behind him, still trying to catch his breath. 

"Hey, easy Lucas," Monsieur Mercier smiled at him, "I am glad you got here safely. You know I don't care if you're late. It's Saturday and I don't expect many people to come today anyway." he carefully placed the cello on the counter.

It wasn't the first time he'd showed up late for work since he started working in the music shop but Monsieur Mercier had always been a kind and understanding man. Treating Lucas like a part of the family. 

"Thank you." 

Monsieur Mercier smiled sympathetically, "Let's get to work, son. Shall we? I have got a new record player that could need some adjusting."

Lucas just nodded, slowly recovering from his horror run. Maybe the day would turn out okay in the end.

** \- **

Lucas shift went by faster then he had expected. Monsieur Mercier had been right, today was one of those days when there weren't that many people coming into the store - apart from two older women who each had bought a trumpet, a younger girl who had looked forward to buying her first violin but didn't buy anything in the end, and some kids who had bought a few records. 

So Lucas had spent most of his shift cleaning the instruments, repairing one of the old record players, and helping Monsieur Mercier with the long-overdue paperwork until he had to go to pick up a new batch of new guitars from one of the wholesalers located at the other end of the city, telling Lucas that he should just lock the shop with the spare key, they could take care of the Guitars on Monday. 

It made Lucas feel proud, to know that someone like Monsieur Mercier trusted him enough to let him alone with the responsibilities of running a shop, even just for a few hours. 

His father would never have done that. His father didn't even want to know that his son was working in some tiny shop in Paris. It was against his ideas about what his family was meant to do and be. But Lucas had always been the outcast of the family. So why should he care about his father's view on how he should live his life?

He had spent a huge part of his it trying to please him, but it was never enough. 

Monsieur Mercier was different, he appreciated Lucas talent and knowledge about instruments and music, he forgave him for making mistakes, he listened to Lucas problems and worries, trying to help as much as could, and he accepted Lucas for who he was.

Lucas was just placing a new bunch of records onto the shelves further back in the store when he heard a dull sound coming from the more secluded area of the shop. 

He turned around, slowly making his way to the wall that was separating this part of the shop from the front, looking for any indication of what might have caused the noise, but the shop was empty, the weak light of the streetlamps outside illuminating the room in warm light. Lucas stood there for a while, watching the people outside of the shop walking by, the last snow of the year was falling from the sky, just to melt on the warm streets of Paris. 

He walked up to the door, flipping the _open _sign onto the _closed _side - just to be sure. Lucas didn't expect any more customers anyway.

After that, Lucas returned to his task of putting the records up onto the shelves. He looked at the clock next to the door, his shift was long over but Lucas decided he would finish putting away the remaining records before leaving the store. 

**-**

"Is there a chance that you might sell me one of these records?" Lucas was just about to put the last record on the shelf when a voice startled him.

"Sorry, we've already closed. You can-" Lucas stopped in the middle of his sentence when he recognized the person in front of him. 

"I know, I saw the sign," he began, running his hand through his damp hair - it was still snowing.

"You...what are you doing here- how do you even know that I am working here?" gaping at Eliott in disbelief. 

"I asked your friend, Yann," Lucas glanced over Eliott’s shoulder at the door, and then let his eyes return to Eliott's face. He was grinning, hands shoved in his pockets, rocking on his heels like a little kid, "he told me I would find you here. I know we didn't specify when we would meet again..but I couldn't wait to see you."

Lucas opened his mouth, trying to find an appropriate response, "Wait, we saw each other yesterday, but you still came back to my friend's house and asked him where I work because you couldn't wait to see me?" 

Eliott nodded and then frowned. 

"Didn't you say your parents don't let you go out alone?" 

"Yes, I did." 

"But-" 

"But I sneaked out anyway. They won't even notice I am gone." 

"How?"

"I have this childhood friend, Imane. She works for my parents, she is basically the mastermind behind my parents, she helps them with all the things you have to deal with as the royal family." 

"You are crazy." 

"Maybe." 

Eliott walked past him, looking around the shop. He went to one of the turntables, examining the record in it before he moved to one of the shelves Lucas had cleaned minutes ago, sifting through the records, nodding approvingly, and then, Lucas following his every move, he peeked into one of the smaller rooms of the store before coming back out and leaning against one of the pianos. Lucas’ mind was filled with things he meant to say to break the silence, but Eliott didn’t seem bothered by the quiet. He merely seemed curious, taking in everything that the shop had to offer. He pressed one of the piano keys, a shrill sound filling the quiet room before smiling and facing Lucas with a smooth turn of his body.

"So..." Eliott began his fingers ghosting over the piano, "you never struck me as someone who works at a music shop." 

He shrugged, "Well, there are a lot of things you don't know about me." 

"Oh really? I think I know a lot more than you might think." 

"I think you are pretty bold," Lucas challenged, "for someone who usually doesn't even leave his parent's home and..." 

Lucas trailed off, Eliott advancing on him, his fingers gripping a strand of his hair, before letting it fall his face again. What was he saying again?

"So, how good are you then?" Eliott asked with a smile on his face, pealing himself out o his damp jacket.

"Good? At what?" Lucas was confused.

"Playing the piano," he smirked, "I mean, I saw the piano at your friend's house and he didn't seem like someone who plays so I connected the dots." 

_ He was in Yann's apartment. _The thought alone made Lucas feel puzzled.

"You really are some kind of stalker, aren't you?" Lucas asked, cocking his eyebrow. 

"Maybe," Eliott shrugged, "I think I just have a thing for talented young men. Especially when they are the next Mozart." 

Lucas let out a soft laugh, feeling his cheeks turn red, "I'm not the next Mozart." 

"Yeah, you look like a Bach anyway, or a Chopin maybe?" he set down on the small piano stool in front of the piano, patting on the free spot next to him. 

Lucas shifted, his body giving in, moving to sit down next to Eliott. The stool was small, tiny even, so they had to sit arm on arm to even fit without one of them falling off of it. Lucas could feel Eliott's chest fall and rise in a steady rhythm.

"Play something for me." 

"I am...I don't...It's been a while since I last played."

"Please," he said softly and Eliott’s eyes changed in a way that made Lucas feel almost too-warm, like the emotion they conveyed radiated straight into his bones. 

"What do you want me to play?" 

"Anything. I don't care, I just want to hear you play." 

Lucas took a deep breath and his hands ghosted over the white keys in front of him. He pressed one, then another, looking for the right note. He gave Eliott a light smile, earning a reassuring look from Eliott, and with that, his last restraint seemed to melt away and he started to let his feelings take him. 

It suddenly seemed so easy, so natural to play, his fingers flying over the keys, filling the room with a delicate melody.

Only when the last notes of the song had gently faded did Lucas dare to look up again, and Eliott is staring back. Awe all written over his face, from his pupils were dilated, to the way Lucas could feel him leaning more into Lucas than necessary. Eliott's gaze flickered from Lucas' eyes down to his lips, and back again, asking the silent question. Just like yesterday. 

Lucas swallowed, closing his eyes when as soon as he felt Eliott's hand on his cheek, his thumb little circles. Tingles slithered over Lucas' skin and he was happy he was sitting this time because his legs started to feel like pudding. 

"I- It's been a while," Lucas whispered, practically into Eliott's mouth, a weak attempt to be funny. Eliott licked his lips. 

"It- gonna be alright, I've got you," he murmured back, and then Eliott's lips were on his, and the world stopped spinning for a while. The first touch was slow and soft, and it sort of weird at first because Lucas didn’t remember what he was supposed to be doing, but the way that he could feel Eliott smiling against his lips made his legs feel weak. 

Lucas could feel one of Eliott's hands gently running up ad down his spine, the other one pulling his face even closer. It's crazy, Lucas didn't think kissing Eliott could feel so good. He didn't even know how he'd ever lived without being able to kiss him - didn't know if he would ever be able to live without it again. 

When Eliott kissed him harder, Lucas moved with him, leaning forward and capturing Eliott's lips with his own. It encouraged Eliott, hands moving and gliding over his sides and lower back, and Lucas ran his fingers through Eliotts hair, still a bit damp from the snow. Lucas gasped, giving Eliott the chance to lick into his mouth.

Their tongues tangled and Lucas let his hands rest on the back of Eliott's neck, holding him close, like a drowning man holding on to his raft. Eagerly, trying to save every little moment. 

Lucas loses his balance when he feels one of Eliott's hands sneaking up under the hem of his pullover. He collapsed onto the floor, taking Eliott with him. 

"Sorry, I- I am so sorry," Eliott said, immediate concern covering his face, "are you okay?" 

Lucas giggled, causing Eliott to look at him with a big question mark written all over his face, "Don't be sorry just- just keep doing what you were doing," Lucas continued, gently rubbing his nose against Eliott's and taking a quick look into his storm-grey eyes before he kisses him back, urgent. 

It was the only assurance Eliott needed to finally give in to the kiss, fully.  
And all of a sudden, Lucas' foolish heart jumped out of his chest to continue beating in Eliott's chest instead and Lucas began to wonder if Eliott could feel the extra weight of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked the new chapter! Comments and Kudos are always welcome and appriciated :)
> 
> *the song is 'What is this thing called love' by Frank Sinatra
> 
> and for anyone who wants to know, Lucas is playing 'something' by the Beatles (they will probably return because I love the Beatles and their music a lot)
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr: @eliottdemmaury

**Author's Note:**

> I did it! This was the first chapter of my fanfiction. I hope you all liked it (comments and kudos are always appreciated). 
> 
> For everyone who wants to know the song that Lucas can hear at the end, it's 'I'm getting sentimental over you' by Mel Tormé. 
> 
> Btw. you can also find me on Tumblr (@eliottdemmaury), come and say hi if you want :)


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